Blood and Water
by Hammermaster
Summary: The ocean is dark and mysterious. Sometimes it takes ships. Sometimes it takes souls. When a mermaid washes up on the shores of ForgetMeNot Valley, is it a gift from the sea, or a curse?.  Ch 4 Roar of the Grindstone
1. Prologue: Expulsion

**Prologue: Expulsion**

An ancient storm raged across the sea, sending wave after wave crashing against the beach. Violent winds tore down trees, broke open windows, and overturned cars. Over the sea, black clouds reigned as watchful spirits, binding the waters to a continuous rule of chaos and destruction. An eerie green light appeared at the edge of the horizon, as the waves grew larger, mightier. Like open mouths they devoured all that they ensnared.

The feeble form of a girl was hurled upon the beach, as if rejected by the sea. She collided with the dunes, her pale flesh scraping painfully against the gritty sand of the world. She cried out once, and then struck her head against a rock and was silent. Waves washed up alongside her still form, the salt from the water burning inside the open cut on her forehead. Her eyelids closed against the stinging spray of air, and she lay there, shivering as she drew herself into a ball.

The storm raged on throughout the night, finding within itself no peace. By morning, it had given up, and died away. A man happened to be walking along the dead shore of the sea, when he caught sight of the girl, trembling as she tried to drag herself up the beach with only her hands. The man ran towards her, stepping between two sun-dried jellyfish and charging through the sand.

When he arrived at her side he drew in a breath, and glanced down in amazement. She turned to gaze up at him, her eyes longing, pleading. Her green hair drying the sun, filled with sand, broken pieces of shells, and salt crystals. But it wasn't her face that drew his attention. It was her legs; or lack of legs thereof. For the entire lower portion of her body was a fish's tale.

"Are you a… a…" he couldn't say it.

She just gazed up at him, and then, in a shuddered voice whispered: "Please help me."

The man hesitated for a moment, and then scooped her up in his arms and carried her off. The look in her eye was one of pure fright, and it scared the man.


	2. Chapter 1 Fragile Beauty

**Chapter 1 Fragile Beauty**

Takakura rose when the first shred of light touched his eyes. When he stepped out into the misty morning, he felt a wave of nostalgia tug at his heart. The morning air was always so pure. He drew in a breath, and stepped out into the farm. There was nowhere in the world quite like this. He'd been to America, Asia, and Europe, but he always found called back to Forget-Me-Not Valley.

The door to the house opened up, and the boy stepped out. Takakura scratched his head, having difficulty recalling the boy's name. Stan, that was it. They waved to each other, and went their separate ways. Takakura smiled as he watched the boy begin working on his crops, watering them one after the other. He remembered how Stan's father had sounded when he died. He remembered his exact words.

With a lump in his throat Takakura remembered that he too was getting older, the old man's death had only been one of the signs.

_How long till I go?_ Takakura wondered.

He began feeding the animals, noting how each had grown over the past few months. Stan had only just arrived, but they'd already made a lot of progress on the farm. It was sad in a way, for it had taken the death of the old to bring about the new.

And yet the world turned onwards. Not progressing, just changing shape, as things faded and replacements were quickly made. It was like a machine. When the older form got outdated or broke, it was thrown away and replaced. Takakura glanced up at the rain clouds above, feeling the weight of the world weighing down upon him. What a beautiful world.

"At least we won't have to water the crops," Stan said, his eyes fixed on the sky above him.

Takakura nodded, as he moved on to another patch, harvesting what was ripe, and moving on.

"These eggplants are dying," he muttered to himself, as he gazed in disgust at the slowly browning plants.

Stan frowned, casting an unpleasant eye upon them.

"We should have enough to get us through the winter," he said.

Later Stan took a stroll into town, heading first over to Vesta's farm for produce. When he opened the door it struck a bell, and Celia looked up from behind the counter.

"Hey Stan," she waved. "What can I get you?"

"My eggplants aren't growing well," he said, stepping up to the counter. "Is there anything you'd recommend."

"Perhaps you should try talking to them," Celia chuckled. "I've heard they're great conversationalists."

Stan chuckled.

"That may be," he replied, "but that won't help pay the bills."

"Have you treated the soil?" Celia asked.

"I don't think it would be smart to spray chemicals on plants that people are going to eat."

"Try plant food," Celia grabbed a bottle of it from behind the counter. "Six ninety nine for a bottle."

Stan payed her.

"Thank you," and turned to leave, but stopped. "Would you… would you like to get a drink with me?"

Celia smiled.

"Love to," she said, tucking a pencil behind her ear. "But I promised Vesta I'd watch the store this afternoon."

Stan smiled, unfaltering.

"Ah."

"But I'm free tomorrow after four," she elaborated.

"I'll see if I can stop up here around that time," Stan replied. "See you then."

"Bye."

Later Stan walked down to the beach, and gazed out over the ocean waves. The storm had left everything in a wreck, as the shore was littered with the corpses of fish and other sea creatures. Something had gotten to them during the night, gutted them, and licked the bones clean. Stan looked around in disgust, as the beach had now become a boneyard.

The grayish blue waves rolled up against the beach, almost painfully. Stan turned to leave, when he caught sight of a flash of green. He saw a strange object lying half buried in the sand not too far away. Walking up to it, Stan found that it was in fact a sword, made of what appeared to be jade. Its hilt was set with a fiery red stone, but the blade had been broken off a the tip.

Stan glanced at it strangely, and carried it off with him. Storms rarely washed anything of value ashore, and who would have thought of carving a sword from jade?

* * *

The mermaid lay in a shallow bath filled partway, breathing in and out, each breath shuddering within her as if something were trying to drag it back down. Her eyes remained shut, and if it were not for the painful spasms of her body she would have appeared to be in a peaceful sleep. Daryl the scientist stood at her side, anxiously glancing back and forth, unsure of what to do.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Her chest jolted again, as if she were experiencing electroshock therapy.

"Take it out!" she suddenly screamed, opening her eyes as her body shook in a seizure.

It was then that Daryl caught sight of the green wedge sticking out from her upper abdomen.

"Hold still!" Daryl commanded, shoving a pillow behind her head.

Grabbing a pair of pliers, he took ahold of the end of the wedge, and slowly drew it out from her flesh. She gasped violently as it tore out, and heaved once more. Then she lay still, as blood leaked out from the cut and mingled with the salt water. Daryl immediately pressed a cloth against the cut to hold in the blood. When the bleeding stopped he lifted the still form of the mermaid from the tub and carried her into the other room, where he lowered her into a large tank of saltwater. She sank to the bottom, where she curled up into a ball and fell instantly asleep.

Daryl walked back into the other room, and examined the shard of what appeared to be green glass. Then he turned to the red water in the tub. He took an eyedropper, and took a sample from it. Then, he put he sample under a microscope and gazed into it.

* * *

Stan was drawn back from the beach by the sound of Gustafa playing his guitar in the field. The somber notes echoed back and forth between the trees, as the poet stared straight out into the sea. He nodded to Stan when he approached. 

"Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Stan looked up at the rain clouds above.

"That was quite a storm we had last night," Gustafa glanced over at his house. "My whole basement's flooded, and my record collection is most certainly ruined."

Stan nodded.

"Have you seen the beach?" he asked. "Nothing but dead fish skeletons."

"I should take a look down there," Gustafa said. "I'm writing a poem about the sea, so it might be inspirational."

"About the sea?"

"Well I was thinking mostly about mermaids in particular."

"Mermaids?" Stan looked at him strangely.

"Yeah," Gustafa leaned forward and stopped playing. "There have been numerous mermaid sightings throughout the years. Here's my theory: many ships have sunk in the ocean, many people have lost their lives to it. What if mermaids are the ghosts of the people who have drowned? What if that's what we're really seeing, is their spirits, left behind to wander the sea. You believe in ghosts?"

Stan shook his head.

"Don't believe in mermaids either."

Gustafa nodded, and continued playing.

* * *

Daryl sat by the tank, gazing at the mermaid inside, his face a mix of fascination and concern. After about an hour's time the mermaid slowly stirred, her eyes opening slowly to gaze out at Daryl through the glass. She swished her emerald tale, and rose up to the top of the tank. Her head broke the surface, and she gazed at her savior in gratitude. Her green hair was cut just above her shoulders and fit with two pink shell hair pieces.

"Thank you," she said, smiling shyly.

Daryl nodded.

"No problem," he said. "I've never… seen a mermaid before."

"Mermaid?" she asked. "Is that what you call us?"

Daryl nodded. He did note that she was slightly different than a mermaid. For one, her fingers were connected by a thin webbing. On the sides of her neck were two gill slits, that processed the oxygen out of water, but it was clear that she had lungs as well.

"We call ourselves niamens," she explained. "My name is Leia."

She reached a hand out from the tank. It shook uncomfortably in the air. Daryl took her hand in his own, and shook it, sending a few drops of water to the ground.

"I'm Daryl," he said. "I'm a scientist. You do realize that… that no one believes that any of your kind really exists."

Leia nodded timidly.

"Thank you for saving me."

"No tell me," Daryl asked, "what were you doing on the beach this morning?"

"The… the storm threw me onto the shore," Leia explained.

"What about the green shard I found in you?" Daryl asked.

"Oh…" Leia's face turned pale. "That was… that was a sharp stone that I fell onto. That's why I was so weak when you found me."

Daryl decided to accept this answer.

"I know you're probably anxious to get back to the sea," he continued, "but you see, that stone cracked one of your ribs. Nothing to worry about, a minor fracture. I set the bone while you were asleep, but now I think you should rest here for a week or two, until you've recovered your strength."

Leia sighed in relief, and nodded, smiling.

"Thank you so much for all of this."

"Don't mention it."

Daryl stood up, and walked off into the other room. Leia leaned back in her tank, thanking the heavens for Daryl. She glanced down at the wound in her chest, and touched it gently. A wave of pain shot through her whole body, causing her to jolt backwards. She covered her mouth to keep from screaming. The wound burned deeply, as the dark poison boiled in her flesh.

* * *

_**Hey everyone. Glad to see my prologue was met with such success. Please leave me a review on how you think I did here in this chapter. And yes, this is Harvest Moon DS. I'm not exactly sure as to what exactly I'm going to do with this story, so I might change the genre as time goes on, but I'll keep the story consistent to the feel I've started it with.**_


	3. Chapter 2 Sea's Wrath

Chapter 2 Sea's Wrath 

As the moon rose that night over the island waters, Stan felt drawn back to the beach. The black waves lapped steadily up the shore, dragging the fish bones back into the ocean with them. It was almost as if they were searching the beach for something, trying to recover that which they had lost. To relay their claim upon it.

Suddenly, a strange ethereal green glow appeared in the distance, and the ocean began to grow more violent. Stan watched in amazement as the waves thrashed violently onto the shore, moving further and further up the bank. It wasn't high tide, there was no reason for this. Then, a massive wave erupted from the ocean without warning, and struck Stan with full force, knocking him off his feet onto the sand. Before he could pull himself back up another wave crashed over him, filling his lungs with a liter of salt water. He coughed violently, and tried to drag himself up the beach, but more waves struck him again, dragging him backwards with a mighty undertow, pulling him into the surf.

Panicking, he dug his hands into the wet sand and sprang forward, only to have his foot catch against a large conch shell and send him sprawling back into the stinging salt water. A wave of adrenaline and rage shot through his body, and with a mighty burst of energy Stan sprang from the water, and ran as fast as he could out of the water. Onto the beach, he sprinted towards the village. The waves followed him up to the edge of the beach.

* * *

As night drew onward Leia grew more and more nervous. She swam back and forth in her tank, her eyes nervously darting back and forth. She swam up to the front of the tank, and gripped the glass edges tightly.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Daryl said, casting her a glance. "There's no reason to fear the darkness."

Leia smiled nervously, but did not calm down. Suddenly they heard the sound of a door opening and closing upstairs. Leia drew in a breath, and sank slowly into the water, her face pale.

"What's wrong?" Daryl immediately leaped to his feet and threw aside the newspaper he'd been reading.

He heard footsteps above his head, as the wood creaked slowly. Leia drew back into a corner of her tank, fear etched across her face. Seeing her alarm, Daryl grabbed a baseball bat that was leaning against the wall, and slowly tiptoed up the stairs.

She heard a yell, then a crash, and then silence. The door to the basement slowly reopened, and boots were heard clomping down the stairs. Leia reached behind her back, and drew a short whalebone dagger from within the hilt that was strapped there.

The footsteps reached the basement floor, and slowly moved up to her cage. Hiding behind a large boulder that Daryl had put in for her to rest on, Leia prepared herself. When the footsteps reached her tank she sprang up from the bottom, erupting from under the water. She shouted, and swung the dagger, slicing her attacker across the arm. He shouted, and drew back, pressing his hand against the wound.

It was just a young man, about her age, who stood before her, unarmed. Leia put a hand to her mouth and smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I thought you were…"

Daryl came bounding down the stairs. "What's going on? Stan?"

He saw Stan standing a safe distance from the cage, and then saw Leia clutching a bloody white dagger.

"Leia," he demanded, "what the hell are you doing?"

Leia blushed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I heard a loud crash upstairs and I thought… I mean I thought he was trying to hurt me."

"I tripped and fell," Daryl said, giving her a weird look.

"What's going on?" Stan asked, glancing around confused.

All he knew was that an attractive girl had just popped up from inside a massive fish tank and sliced him across the arm. Then he caught sight of her tail.

"Dang," he rose to his feet slowly. "Is that a…"

"Mermaid?" Daryl said as he wrapped a bandage around Stan's arm. "Yes it is."

"I'm Leia," she stretched out a hand.

Stan looked at her suspiciously.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I promise I won't do it again. It was a… a misunderstanding."

Stan took her hand in his own, and shook it gently. When he drew his hand back it was wet.

"Let me clear things up a bit," Daryl said, stepping forward.

He then went on to explain the entire situation from the beginning.

"Wow…" Stan scratched his head. "That's… hard to believe. I mean, a real live mermaid!"

"Niamen," Daryl corrected him. "Or would it be Niawoman?"

Leia looked at him strangely. "I don't understand…"

"Nevermind," Daryl amended his ignorance.

"Well then," Stan smiled, and shook Leia's hand again. "My name's Stan. I'm a farmer, I just moved here."

"What's a farmer?" Leia asked.

"We uh… we plant crops. Plants that people eat and sell them."

She nodded, but it was clear she didn't exactly understand. Stan swallowed, and glanced at the white dagger in her hand.

"Did you make that?"

Leia nodded. "I carved it from a whalebone that I found."

"Its beautiful."

Leia looked up at Stan and smiled. She felt her face heating up as she looked at him, as her heart picked up speed.

"Well I'd better get going," Stan confessed reluctantly. "It was nice meeting you Leia."

"Bye," Leia watched him go. "…And Stan!"

Stan stopped halfway up the stairs and glanced down at her.

"You can come visit me again sometime," Leia suggested.

Stan smiled and nodded. Daryl followed Stan up the stairs to show him out. When she was alone, Leia took the whalebone dagger, and looked at the bloody blade. She sniffed the blood curiously, before running her tongue up the blade, licking up the blood. She glanced at the wound in her side, and felt the poison boil within her. Bending down, she allowed a drop of the blood to fall from her teeth and onto the cut. The blood boiled open the scab, and slowly made its way down into the dark poison. Leia tasted the remains of the blood, recording its flavor, before swallowing it.

That night Leia fell asleep, and dreamed. She dreamed of shadows rising from the sides of her room, exploding into vibrant colors, each stranger and more deadly than before. As the night grew stronger the colors began to dance around her, singing eerily. Voices of her own demise erupted from every shallow corner of the room.

A shadowy hand hurled a knife, which struck her in the arm, sending her reeling back. The spirits of darkness rose forward as she screamed, their pale hands reaching for her neck. One by one they took ahold of her, and began to choke out her life. Leia gasped, crying out violently for salvation.

The spirits of darkness swayed back and forth in the room, twisting and contorting, alive and dead. As her breath grew shallow and the knife loomed onward, her shirt soaked up her blood. The nightmare devoured the light, and the colors danced in a psychedelic kaleidoscope of horror. The spirits of darkness held tightly to her soul.

_'Night reigns over you.'_

Leia screamed.

_'Night takes over you.'_

_'You are at an arms length, prey to all my desires.'_

Leia's vision faded.

_'I am coming for you, and you will not escape this time!'_

The storm's wrath that evening was indescribable. Wave after horrible wave crashed against the shoreline, seeking that which it had lost. What the sea did not understand, was how the creature it sought, had simply disappeared. Such a creature could not venture outside of the sea for very long. The storm clouds turned an eerie green above as they gazed across the island, searching for their prey, and found none.

* * *

_**And before you ask, yes, I know that was a little weird to have Leia drink his blood like that, but rest assured that I know where I'm going in this story and that leia is NOT a vampire. Keep reading and you'll understand.**_


	4. Chapter 3 Ex Nihilo

Chapter 3 Ex Nihilo 

Stan hurled his line out over the beach into the ocean, watching it splash in the cold sea. Shadows seemed to flit back and forth within the water as he hurled his line in, and watched it sink steadily to the bottom. The waves rocked back and forth, more peaceful this morning than they'd been in a while. Stan still recalled his unfortunate misadventure the night before and still found it difficult to understand why that had happened.

As he reeled in his line to recast it clouds began forming in the sky, flowing in from the West to fill the sky. The sky grew darker and darker, and he looked up in surprise. A fish took ahold of his line, and began running with it suddenly, returning his attention to the water. He stopped reeling in his line when he suddenly caught sight of a faint ethereal light that began to appear above the face of the water a good distance away on the surface of the sea. Stan froze, his mouth falling open in amazement.

The green light began to form into the shape of a twisted skeleton like creature, standing four feet tall and carrying a long rusty spear. The skeleton was not quite human, but it was of similar structure. Its back was hunched, and on each finger bone there extended a long green claw. The bones and the spear were all surrounded by the green ethereal energy, bound together and united by it.

Stan froze, unable and unwilling to move. The demonic beast opened its mouth, hissing hungrily, before stepping forward onto the beach, and marching forward. Suddenly it turned, and fixed Stan with a soulless gaze. Stan felt his heart freezing within him as he stared into the black eye sockets. Then, the beast slowly faded away before his eyes, as if it was just a hallucination.

Stan turned and took off running.

* * *

Leia felt it when it happened, a deep stirring in her stomach as the last of the poison burned within her before dying. They were coming. They'd felt the death of their poison and were on their way to finish the job that it had started. 

"Is everything all right?" Daryl asked.

Leia's lip trembled, and she realized that for the sake of the man who'd saved her she'd have to let him in on all that was going on.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Daryl continued, walking over to her cage.

"Worse than that," Leia shuddered. "They are coming."

"They?" Daryl looked at her strangely. "What are you talking about?"

Leia turned away, her face frozen in a mask of fear.

"Th-The… The sea is coming for me…"

"The sea? You mean the ocean?"

"Don't let it take me back!" Leia turned to him suddenly.

There was a knock at the door upstairs. Daryl turned to walk up the stairs.

"No!" Leia shrieked. "Don't open it!"

Daryl sighed. "Leia, the last time you did this it was just Stan coming by to visit. Its probably just him coming back to see you, like he said he would."

With that, he marched up the stairwell. Muttering under his breath he unlocked the door and opened it to find himself face to face with…

A pale green gas flew into his open mouth, quickly moving down his throat and into his lungs. Daryl stumbled backwards, coughing and gasping as the gas burned inside of him. The gaseous skeletal being before him simply floated right by, as he struggled to breath.

Leia, having heard the noise, drew her bone dagger and watched in horror as a faint green gas began flowing down the basement stairs. The gas flowed upwards, forming into a hunched over shape. Then slowly, ever so slowly, the bones of the beast began to reappear. The skull grinned back at her from within the green gas, two long horns rising up from opposite sides of the head.

Leia held her dagger at the ready, as the beast raised its long spear. She knew she didn't stand a chance. Then, suddenly she heard a gunshot, which struck the beast in the back, and sent it reeling forward. Turning around, it hissed angrily at Daryl, who stood there, a rifle clutched in his arms.

"Leia!" Daryl shouted. "Get out of here!"

Leia immediately sprung from her tank, and landing with a flop on the floor. Struggling, she used her arms to drag her limp form towards the stairway. Daryl stepped between the beast and her, firing another round into the beast's face. The skull jolted backwards as the round took it, but when the beast reared back towards him no damage was visible. In a rage, the beast sprung upon Daryl, knocking his gun away with one thrust from the spear, and slicing him across the chest with its long green claws. Daryl crumpled backwards, blood soaking into his shirt. The beast looked up, to see Leia struggling to climb over the last step and onto the first floor of the house.

The gaseous creature erupted forward, passing over Daryl's body, and up the stairway. Leia floundered her way across the floor, desperately dragging herself onward, reaching up to open the front door, before spilling out onto the welcome mat.

"Leia?" she looked up to see Stan standing on the path towards the village, looking at her strangely.

"Help me!" she shouted, dragging herself through the grass and onto the path.

Stan ran to her side.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The beast passed right through the door to the house, baring its teeth.

"Holy…" Stan picked Leia up and began running. "What is that thing?"

Leia didn't answer, and instead took out her whalebone dagger.

"Get me a leaf!" she ordered.

"What?" Stan asked in disbelief, glancing over his shoulder at the beast.

"Just do it!" Leia ordered. "From a tree!"

Stan ran over to a tree, tore out a handful of leaves, and continued running.

"Its gaining on us!"

Leia took one leaf from him, and then slit open her hand with the dagger.

"What the heck are you doing?" Stan demanded.

Leia pressed the leaf up against the cut, soaking it in the blood. Then, she stabbed the blade through the leaf.

"Stop running!" 'Leia ordered.

"This is crazy!"

"JUST DO IT!"

Stan stopped, turning to face the beast. It sprang towards them, drawing back its right arm to send the spear through Stan's chest. Leia hurled the dagger into the beast's exposed bones, cracking through its ribs. The beast fell backwards, wailing as the green gas began to burn red. Thrashing violently upon the ground the green gas slowly dissipated, but the bones remained. Then they stopped moving, for the creature had died.

"How did you…" Stan broke up, glancing up to see Patrick, one of the town's local pyromaniacs staring at the two of them in disbelief.

With her arms wrapped around Stan's neck, Leia looked over at Patrick, her face turning pale.

"No!" she shouted, as he turned and ran off in the direction of the village. "No one must know about this!"

But he was gone. Stan looked down at Leia, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Okay… tell me you know what just happened."

Leia sighed, and looked away.

"I can't…" she confessed. "If I tell you… you'll want me to go away."

"Go away?" Stan asked.

"You'll send me back to the ocean," Leia continued.

"But isn't that what you want?" Stan asked. "To go back?"

Leia shook her head as tears came to her eyes.

"Promise you won't make me go back. Promise!"

She took ahold of his shirt with her hands, and gazed up into his eyes pleadingly.

"What? Well… all right, I promise. Now will you tell me what's going on?"

"Alright," Leia nodded.


	5. Chapter 4 Roar of the Grindstone

Chapter 4 Roar of the Grindstone 

Darkness. A flash of green. Darkness. Daryl was underwater, struggling, desperately to rise to the surface.

'Give her to me...'

He thrashed desperately with his arms, releasing a cloud of air bubbles from his mouth.

'I don't want to hurt anyone. Be healed... bring her to me.'

His eyes flashed open and he found himself gazing straight up at his basement ceiling. Rising slowly, Daryl glanced around disbelieving the situation. Had it all been a dream? His hands went to his chest, where he found that his wounds had disappeared. Perhaps it had just been a dream. But then he glanced down, and saw the red stains in his white jacket. The blood was there, but the wounds were not.

Leia...

He glanced up suddenly. Where was Leia? He rose up, and began walking towards the stairway. Daryl stopped suddenly, and glanced back behind him at the pocket knife resting on the table. Without knowing what he was doing Daryl walked up to it, and flicked it open. He felt the blade with his finger, and found that it was dull.

Sharpen... sharpen the blade. It must be sharp.

He turned to a grindstone in the corner, pushing Leia to the back of his mind. He did not know why, but he had to sharpen the blade.

* * *

A dark haze fell upon the land, cutting off the songs of the birds as dark clouds obscured the sky. Takakura looked up in surprise, for he remembered the weatherman predicting clear skies. Then he shrugged, and resumed working. 

"Hey Stan," he said. "I think we might get some rain pretty soon, so don't worry about watering the crops."

No answer. He looked up, and surveyed the farm. Stan was nowhere to be seen. He was supposed to be back at two to wrap up the farm chores. Takakura glanced around everywhere, but saw no sign of his partner.

"You better not be out drinking," he grumbled to himself. "Your old man would never have approved."

Then he caught sight of a faint green gas that was flowing towards him from the road. A black cloud rolled over the sun as the gas rose upwards and formed the shape of a man.

* * *

"You'll be safe here for now," Josh said.

Leia cupped some of the spring water in her hands and held it up to her mouth to drink.

"It tastes so… pure."

"Can you live in freshwater?" Stan asked. "I know most fish can't."

"I can," Leia confirmed. "My body just has to… change."

She rolled forward, splashing into the spring. Here head resurfaced a moment later, her face dripping wet.

"Alright," Stan nodded. "If anything comes here that is… dangerous or… if you're afraid, just swim to the bottom of the spring and hide. If things really get dangerous, then get out of the spring, and see if you can make it to the river."

Stan glanced around. "There's a lot of legends going around about this spring. Some believe it's the home of a Harvest Goddess, that watches over this village. Then its said that there's an evil witch princess, that is the Goddess' enemy. I think its all myth, but I do know that you'll be safe here."

Leia looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you Stan. I…"

She felt her heart beating in her chest as she gazed up at him. She knew what she wanted to do, but she just couldn't. So instead, she delicately touched his face with her white hand, smiling brightly. It was the kind of smile that said thank you, that told you someone cared about you and was grateful for all that you'd done.

"Its no problem," Stan said. "You're my friend. This is what friends do. I'll come and see you again tomorrow. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone what you told me, unless things really get dicey."

He turned and walked back towards his farm. As Stan left he glanced up at the sky, surprised by the dark clouds he saw. Stan turned, and entered his farm, as a chilling wind blew down across his shoulders from the mountains.

"Takakura?" he stepped over the fence into the field and stepped among the cows, searching for his partner.

The grass rustled as the wind parted it. The cows were clustered on the far side of their enclosure, mooing nervously and glancing around. Stan walked past them, until he reached the other side of the fence. The hairs on his back stood straight up as the wind blew against him again. Something was wrong, what, he did not know. Stealing quietly into his house, Stan walked to his closet, and drew out a shotgun. He walked back out of his house, and faced the endless fields, as the sky grew steadily darker and darker.

"Takakura?"

The wind blew his words away.

_'Give her to me.'_

"Who's there?" Stan glanced around, hoping to catch sight of the source of the voice he'd just heard.

_'Return her to the waters, or I'll take something else.'_

Then, the clouds broke open, and the eerie feeling faded. Stan stood alone in his fields.

* * *

A new guy came into the bar that day, much to Muffy's surprise. He was a tall guy, whose long black hair hung down over his eyes. His eyes were surrounded by black eyeliner and he wore dark black baggy pants, a dark gray shirt, and a black leather coat hanging from his shoulders. 

"Welcome to the Blue Bar!" Muffy smiled cheerfully. "Not seen you around here yet. I'm Muffy."

She held out a hand. The man stepped up to the bar and shook her hand pleasantly.

"I'm Red," the man introduced himself. "I'm visiting my Grandparents, Nina and Galen."

"Right," Muffy nodded. "I know both of them. Well its good to meet ya!"

She then wandered to the back.

"I wonder what his grandparents think of the getup," she whispered to Griffin.

Griffin glanced at the boy, and shrugged his shoulders. He then walked over to the boy and asked him what he wanted.

"I'll have a Root Beer," Red said.

The door to the bar opened a second time as Griffin turned away to prepare his drink. Celia stepped in, her face a mixture of disappointment and anger. She sat down heavily in a stool and ordered a Coke. Red glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey," he murmured.

Celia glanced at him unpleasantly, before realizing that he was new in town.

"Hi," she replied shyly, holding out her hand. "I'm Celia."

Red shook her hand firmly.

"I'm Red," he said. "Nice to meet you."

Celia was struck by his politeness.

"I'm visiting my Grandparents, Nina and Galen."

Celia smiled and nodded. "I've seen them in town now and then. I don't really know them that well, but…"

Both of them jumped when they heard a thud against the side of the building.

"What was that?" Griffin asked.

Suddenly the wall burst open, sending bricks and plaster flying into the room. Celia sprang from her stool, and ducked behind the counter, but Red did not act fast enough. All he could do before being hit by the wave of bricks was to throw his arms up over his head. They struck him, leveling him to the ground and nearly cracking several of his ribs. He felt the air forced out of him as one collided with his stomach, winding him. Then, in a few seconds it was all over. He lay there, throbbing in pain. When suddenly, a violent force took ahold of him.

He found himself rising to his feet, and facing the cowering people behind the bar. Celia slowly rose up from the floor, trembling violently. She gasped as she saw Red's eyes glaze over pale green.

"This is a warning to all of you," he began speaking in a strange and dark voice. "The one who walks below the waves has returned."

Griffin gasped in horror, and drew back from the bar.

"What?" Celia asked, looking at his and Muffy's horrified expressions. "What is it?"

"There is one among you," the beast in Red continued, "one who I desire. Bring me the mermaid, and I will not return."

Then, the presence left Red, his eyes returned to normal, and he collapsed on the ground before them. Celia ran to his side, and rolled him over.

"Red?"

He opened his eyes, groaning in pain.

* * *

Takakura was in the back shed when Stan stepped in to take a look. 

"There you are," Stan said.

Takakura glanced at him, before turning back to the grindstone, where he was sharpening an axe. Beside him lay a pile of different farming tools, from hoes to machetes to sickles. There was even an old hockey stick lying there.

"You uh… need any help?" Stan asked.

"No," Takakura answered abruptly.

"Care to tell me what you're doing?" Stan asked.

Takakura removed the axe from the grindstone and turned to face Stan, his face filled with annoyance.

"I'm sharpening THIS axe," he shoved the axe in Stan's face.

Stan stepped back warily, shocked by the sudden outburst.

"Alright… alright…"

Takakura went back to sharpening.

"Have your fun," Stan turned and walked out the door.


End file.
